Georgian President is hopeful about Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway
By Sabina Idayatova
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will allow and increase turnover between
Europe and Asia, as it will be the shortest route, and all of these
will affect every resident of the region, Mikheil Saakashvili said
at the meeting with the local population in Akhalkalaki on
Thursday.
"This road will connect us to Europe, and it is a straight road
from Tbilisi to London via Turkey, " Saakashvili said.
He also expressed his belief that completion of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway`s construction will contribute to the
revival of Samtskhe-Javakheti region, where the development is
seen.
Meanwhile, the "nationals" from the minority recently accused the
new Georgian government led by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili
deeming that separatist sentiment could intensify in the
region.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the South Caucasus natural gas pipeline and the pending BTK railway pass through the region.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being built in accordance with an inter-governmental agreement reached by Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The railway will increase the flow of containers and other types of cargo from Asia to Europe. Its throughput capacity will peak at 17 million tons of cargo per year. Initially, the capacity will be 6.5 million tons of consignments and 1 million passengers.
Azerbaijan has allocated a loan worth $775 million for the construction of the Georgian section of the railway. Funding for the project from the State Oil Fund is carried out in accord with the 2007 presidential decree on taking measures within the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project.